In a recording disk, such as a hard disk, an optical disk and a magneto optical disk, the recognition and management of the recording position of data is generally performed as follows. Namely, tracks are formed on the recording surface of the recording disk, and each track is divided into sectors. Then, position information which indicates the start position of each sector is recorded onto the recording surface. The position information is a pit or magnetic data, and is recorded onto the recording surface when the recording disk is formatted. After that, when the data is recorded onto the recording surface, the position information is detected, to thereby recognize a position where the data is to be recorded. Moreover, when the data recorded on the recording surface is read, the position information is detected, to thereby recognize a position where the data to be read is recorded.
The recognition and management of the recording position of the data is basically performed in the above manner; however, the specific aspect thereof varies depending on the type of the recording disk or the like.
By the way, a method of recording the data onto the recording medium by using a probe or cantilever or the like which has a sub-micro or nano-scale tip has been recently developed. In such a recording method, there are a method of recording the data by using the spontaneous polarization of a ferroelectric substance, a method of recording the data by making a hole by heat in a polymer film, a method of recording the data by using the charge storage effect of a laminated material which is made of a silicon oxide film, a silicon nitride film, and so on. Moreover, a method of reproducing the data recorded on the recording medium by such a recording method has been also developed. In such a reproducing method, there are a method to which a technology of Scanning Nonlinear Dielectric Microscopy is applied, a method to which a technology of Scanning Maxwell-Stress Microscopy is applied, a method to which a technology of Kelvin Force Microscopy is applied, a method to which a technology of Scanning Capacitance Microscopy is applied, or the like. According to the recording method and the reproducing method described above, it is possible to record the data onto the recording medium at extremely high density, and read and reproduce the recorded data with high resolution. This recording density or reading resolution is beyond the limit of magnetic recording and optical recording.
Even if the method of recording the data onto the recording medium by using the probe or the like is adopted, it is necessary to recognize and manage the recording position of the data, in order to realize the recording and reproduction of the data. A patent reference below (Japanese Patent Application Laying Open NO. Hei 08-321084) discloses a tracking method in an apparatus for recording the data onto a recording medium by using a probe. According to the patent reference, a plurality of tracks are formed, concentrically or spirally (strictly speaking, this is one continuous track if formed spirally), on the recording surface of the disk-shaped recording medium, and grooves for tracking are formed at intervals of several tracks. A recording head is provided with: several probes for recording the data; and two probes only for tracking, and these are aligned in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the tracks. Then, the several probes for recording the data are arranged on several tracks which are located between the grooves, and the two probes only for tracking are disposed on the grooves which are located on the both sides of an area formed by the several probes or on the edge of the grooves. When the data is recorded, the recording medium is rotated, and at the same time, the head is displaced in the radial direction of the recording medium so that the several probes for recording the data follow their respective tracks. At this time, tracking control is performed by detecting a shift in the position between the probe only for tracking and the groove.